What options are available for reconstruction after mastectomy?

Question: What options are available for reconstruction after mastectomy?

Answer: Well, there are multiple volumes of books written on this subject. In general, reconstructions are either done with your own tissue, most commonly tissue from the tummy, or with implants. Sometimes, the implants require some soft tissue coverage also, such as with the muscle from the back. So in general, I see most reconstructions as either being tissue based or implant based. These days though, there is a third type of breast reconstruction which is done with fat grafting. Of course, this is a tissue based option also, but it is a much smaller operation, although it usually requires multiple operations, which can be done in an outpatient setting.